Building construction



April 6, 1937- G. K. GEERLINGS 2,076,403

BUILDING' CONSTRUCTION Filed oct. 1o, 1952 -2 sheets-sheen` 1 April 6, 1937- i G. K. GEERLlNc-as 2,076,403

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction and more particularly to a novel construction for providing adequate bathroom facilities in dwellings, apartment houses, etc., either in old or new buildings.

One of thev most common faults of houses is the lack of adequate bathroom facilities in the light of modern requirements. Many home owners have found that having one bathroom only lo has made the sale of their houses virtually impossible, as well as inconvenient to themselves while occupants. Yet it is at present impossible to add a bathroom without following one of two coursesz--sacrificing a bedroom, which results in l5 a disadvantage greater than existed before, or, making an addition, which unfortunately costs so much that the new selling price will not be able to include a profit.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a novel construction whereby adequate bathroom facilities may be supplied to old or new buildings. The desired object is accomplished by placing the novelly constructed bathroom between two rooms or at the end of a single room, taking off the necessary space from the two rooms or the single room. The amount of space required is equal only to that of an ordinary closet. In the case of two rooms, it is necessary to take off only about fourteen inches from each room, yet all of the bathroom fixtures are of standard size. While the invention is particularly concerned with and adapted to bathrooms, it may be practiced in a general way with respect to any household fixtures, such as kitchen stoves and similar equipment.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings as applied specifically to a bathroom. Reference may be had to the drawings in connection with the following detailed description for a clearer understanding of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a preferred form of the invention in its application to the interposition of a bathroom between two adjacent members or compartments such as bedrooms;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along line 3 3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a plan View showing more or less diagrammatically a modified form of door construction which may be used.

Referring to Figs. l to 3 of the drawings, and particularly to Fig. l, A and B designate adja- 55 cent rooms or compartments, such as bedrooms,v

(Cl. 2li-1.11)

between which the novelly constructed bathroom assembly is interposed. Wall 2 may be an outside wall of the building and a window 3 is preferably provided in this wall as illustrated. The bathroom assembly comprises a relatively small and narrow compartment 4 and a second smaller and equally narrow compartment 5 aligned therewith. As above indicated, the width of these compartments is of such small dimension that only about fourteen inches need be taken off each of rooms A and B to provide the bathroom assembly. Compartment 4 is a lavatory-bathtub compartment and there is, therefore, provided in this compartment a unitary fixture 6 which substantially fills the compartment. This fixture comprises the bathtub 'I and the wash basin or lavatory 8. As shown more .clearly in Fig. 2, the fixture is preferably designed so that the wash basin overhangs the bathtub as at 9, thereby conserving space. It will be understood, of course, that the wash basin and tub may be separate units.

Compartment 5 is a toilet compartment and there is provided therein the toilet fixture I0. The two aligned compartments are separated by a commonwall II and thetank I2 of the toilet fixture may advantageously be located in the common'wall, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 2. An elevated window or louver I3 is preferably provided in wall II for ventilation purposes and to allow the escape of steam or vapor originating in compartment 4 when hot water is being used', for examplawhen one is bathing. There is also preferably built into wall II a medicine cabinet I4 which is accessible from compartment 4.

Compartments 4 and 5 are defined by side walls I5, which walls separate the two compartments from rooms A and B, respectively. Each of these walls is provided with a passage opening I6 and a door I1 is provided for each opening. It will be seen then that compartment 5 is accessible from either room A or room B and may be used. conveniently and privately by occupants of either room. It will be understood, of course, that doors I'I will be provided with locks operable from the inside of compartment 5 so that either or both of these doors'may be locked from inside compartment 5 when desired. If desired, there could be provided an automatic locking arrangement in which both doors would be locked when one enters the compartment and would be unlocked when no one is in the compartment. For example, the floor of the compartment could be arranged to control the locks in response to pressure thereon. Such an arrangement would eliminate the possibility of one neglecting to lock or unlock one or both of the doors.

There are also provided in walls I5 passage openings I8 for compartment 4, which openings 5 render this compartment accessible to the occupants of either room A or room B. Associated with each of the passage openings I8 are a pair of bodily slidable doors I9 and 20. Extending transversely of compartment 4 and near the ceil- 10 ing thereof, there are provided stationary sleeves or guides 2l having rods 22 slidably carried thereby. Sleeves 2| may be suitably mounted by means of brackets 23 attached to the side walls of compartment 4 above the door spaces, as shown more l5 clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be understood that suitable bearings (not visibile) will be provided inside sleeves 2I to properly support rods 22. Doors are attached to the outer ends of rods 22 so as to be bodily carried thereby. As illus- 20 trated, there are preferably provided two slidable rod devices for each of doors I9 and 20. In Figs. 1 and 3, the doors on one side are in closed position and lie substantially flush with the side wall of compartment 4, while the doors on the other side are fully open and partly open, respectively.

A pair of collapsible and extensible auxiliary door members 24 and 25 are hinged to each other and to the side wall of compartment 4 and to each of doors I9 and 20. These auxiliary doors are provided only at the outside of the adjacent door pairs, their purpose being to form with the door pairs I9 and 20 when opened an enclosure about the space immediately adjacent the lavatory-bathtub fixture 6. Considering, for example, the doors shown in opened and partly opened position in Fig. 1 and remembering that the door construction on the opposite side of chamber 4 is identical, it will be noted that the auxiliary doors 24 and 25 are hinged together longitudinally. The outermost of these doors 24 is attached at 26 to flange 21. This flange may be integral with or attached to the outer edge of door I9 or 2D". Auxiliary door 25 is attached at 28 to the side wall of compartment 4. When doors I 9, 20 are pushed into closed position, the auxiliary doors fold upon each other, as illustrated clearly by the closed door illustration. When doors I9, 2D are moved to open position, the auxiliary doors move into aligned relation with each other, as clearly illustrated by the fully opened door, so as to constitute a wall for the space adjacent fixture 6. In order that doors I9 and 20 may be adequately supported and may be freely moved, casters 29 55 (see Fig. 3) are provided at the bottom of these doors and thesecasters are preferably resiliently attached to the doors so as to recoil slightly vertically when a carpet or other obstruction is encountered during movement of the doors without 60 jarring the doors and their attached parts.

A canopy or ceiling member 3D is attached .to each of doors I9 and 20 below the slidable rod devices, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3. These members may take the form of a metallic frame 65 bent at 9| to provide feet which may be welded or otherwise secured to the doors I9, 20. Suitable covering, such as a sheet of canvas, may be attached to the frame. These canopy members are attached only to the doors I9, 20 Vand when the 70 doors are moved to closed position, they extend transversely through compartment 4. In order that this action may be freely had, the canopy members on one side are slightly higher than those on the other side so as not to interfere with 75 each other, as shown in Fig. 3. `When the doors I9, 20 are moved to open position, the canopy members complete the enclosure for the space immediately adjacent xture 6.

It will be remembered that iixture 6 substantially lls compartment 4 and the reason for providing the door construction above described is to enable the private use of the fixture by the occupants of either room A or room B. It will be understood that the door pairs I9, 29 will be provided with locks which may be operated from the inside of compartment 4 so that the doors on either side may be locked to prevent access to compartment 4 by the occupants of either room A or room B. If desired, there may be provided a locking arrangement which automatically locks one set of doors when the other pair is opened, and which automatically unlocks all doors when they are closed. When either of the door pairs are moved to open position and the complete enclosure is thus formed, as above described, the user of compartment 4 has ample space and is afforded complete privacy. The wash basin 8 may be readily used from either side of fixture 5, it being designed specically for this purpose. The complete enclosure provided not only afiords privacy to the user of compartment 4 but also prevents steam or vapor from escaping from the compartment into either room A or B and condensing on the walls or furniture thereof. The only outlet for the steam or vapor is through the window or louver I3 into compartment 5 and from thence to the outside of the building through window 3.

The space utilized by the enclosure formed by the door pairs and their associated auxiliary doors and canopy is, of course, a part of room A or room B and, in order to protect the floors of these compartments or rugs or carpets thereon, there is hinged to each of doors I9 and 20 a oor member 32 having resilient knob-like feet 33 (see Fig. 3). Normally, each of these floor members is folded upward and lies against its associated door in inoperative position. After the door has been moved outward and the auxiliary doors 24 and 25 arein aligned position, the oor member may be moved downward into operative position, as shown in Fig. 3. The adjacent floor members thus provided for each of the door pairs cooperatively provide a oor adjacent xture 6 which protects the iloor of room A or room B or carpets, rugs, etc. thereon. This feature is particularly important when it is considered that water is ofttimes splashed from the wash basin or bathtub onto the floor. It will now be apparent that the reason for providing flanges 2'I is to provide space for the floor members 32 between doors I9, 29 and their associated auxiliary doors 24, 25.

In Fig. 4, there is illustrated an alternative door construction for compartment 4, the remainder of the construction remaining the same as in the preferred form and above described. In this case, however, the doors I9a and 20a are hingedly mounted upon the side walls of compartment 4 and carry at their outer edges hingedly mounted auxiliary doors 24a and 25a. When doors I9a and 29a are in closed position, the auxiliary doors lie against them so as to form a substantially at door structure lying substantially flush with the side walls of compartment 4. When doors i 9a and Za are opened, however, the auxiliary doors 24a and 25ay may be opened to form with doors I9a, 28a, the desired enclosure about the space immediately adjacent xture 6. The dot-and-dash lines illustrate clearly the ities.

paths of movement of the main and auxiliary doors.

In this instance, as before, there is attached to each of doors 49a and 26a a canopy member 38a, which may be formed similarly to that of the preferred form and similarly attached to the doors. When the main doors are opened, the canopy members cooperatively complete the desired enclosure. It will be noted that in this case, however, it is necessary not only to have the canopy members on the opposite sides of compartment 4 differently elevated, but it is also necessary that the respective canopy members on each side be of different elevated positions so that they will not interfere with each other when the doors are moved from one position to another. When the main doors are closed, the canopy members move into compartment d, as will be apparent.

It will be obvious from the illustration and above description that the novel construction provided herein is simple and may be readily incorporated in either a new or an existing building. With the exception of the xtures, which will, of course, be. of standard construction, the

- parts of the construction may be formed of suitable metal or other material and may be fabricated at the factory in units so that, in installation, it is merely necessary to assemble the various units in place. The construction is thus simple., practical, economical, and aifords a complete solution to the problem of providing adequate bathroom facilities at a cost lower than those for the average bathroom which is 5 X '7l/2 feet.

While the invention has been illustrated herein with respect to a bathroom interposed between two adjacent rooms, it is to be understood that it is not thus limited, but may be. utilized at the end of a single room. In such case, the aligned narrow compartments 4 and 5 would be taken entirely olf the single room and doors on one side only would be provided. Otherwise, the construction would be as illustrated and described herein. Thus by taking 01T space amounting merely to that of an ordinary closet, bathroom facilities may be provided at small cost. In constructing a bathroom as described, whatever remaining space exists in the width of the room or rooms can advantagecusly be given over to a closet where walls l align with those of the bathroom.

It is also to be understood that while it is particularly adapted to bathrooms, the invention is not thus limited, but is applicable to other instances where it is desired to provide other facil- For example, by means of the same general construction illustrated and described herein, a kitchen stove designed for operation from either side could be. provided between two rooms and arranged for private use by the occupants of either of the rooms. Such a xture could also be provided at the end oi a single room. The invention is also applicable in instances which do not require a household fixture. For example the small compartment might be used as a dressing room. Thus the invention is applicable broadly to numerous instances and is not to be limited by the speciiic disclosure hereof. Only such limitations as are contained in the appended claims are to be imposed upon the invention.

I claim:

l. In building construction, a chamber or compartment, a relatively small and narrow compartment adjacent said rst compartment and scparated therefrom by a common wall having a passage opening therein, at least a portion of said small compartment being taken off said first compartment, a pair of movable doors for said opening which aline with each other and with said common wall in their closed positions, and extensible means attached to said doors and forming therewith when the doors are opened a complete enclosure about a small space adjacent said small compartment, whereby said small compartment may privately and conveniently be used.

2. In buliding construction, a chamber or compartment, a relatively small compartment adjacent said rst compartment and separated therefrom by a common wall having a passage opening therein, a household fixture within said small compartment and substantially lling the same, a pair of bodily slidable doors for said opening which lie flush with said common wall in their closed positions, and extensible means attached to said doors and forming therewith when the doors are opened a complete enclosure about a small space adjacent said fixture whereby said fixture may privately and conveniently be used.

3. In building construction, a chamber or co-mpartment, a relatively small compartment adjacent said rst compartment and separated therefrom by a common wall having a passage opening therein, a household fixture within said small compartment and substantially lling the same, a pair of movable doors for said opening which lie flush with said common wall in their closed positions, means attached to said doors and forming therewith when the doors are opened a complete enclosure about a small space adjacent said fixture whereby said fixture may privately and conveniently be used, and a oor member adapted to be operatively disposed in said space when said door is opened.

4. In building construction, a pair of adjacent chambers or compartments, a relatively small compartment between said first compartments, said small compartment having opposed openings communicating respectively with said first compartments, a pair of normally aligned complementary doors closing each of said openings, and extensible means attached to each pair of doors and forming therewith when the doors are opened a complete enclosure about a small space adjacent said small compartment, whereby said small compartment is accessible to the occupants of either of said rst compartments and may be used privately thereby.

5. In building construction, a pair of adjacent chambers or compartments, a relatively small compartment between said iirst compartments, a household fixture Within said small compartment and substantially iilling the same, a passage and bodily slidable doors between each of said first compartments and said small compartment, and extensible means attached to said doors' and forming therewith when the doors are opened a complete enclosure about a small space adjacent said xture, whereby said fixture is accessible to the occupants of either of said irst compartments and may be used privately thereby. 6. In building construction, a chamber or co-mpartment, a relatively small compartment adjacent said rst compartment and separated therefro-m by a common wall having a passage opening therein, a bodily movable door structure arranged to move rectili-nearly away from and toward said opening, and means associated with said door structure for forming therewith an enclosure about a small space adjacent said small compartment, whereby said small compartment may be used privately and conveniently.

7. In building construction, a pair of adjacent chambers or compartments, a relatively small compartment between said first compartments and separated therefrom by common walls having passage openings therein, a bodily movable door structure for each opening and arranged to move rectilinearly away from and toward the opening, and means associated with each door structure for forming therewith an enclosure about a small space adjacent said small compartment, whereby said small compartment is accessible to the occupants of either of said first compartments and may be used privately and conveniently thereby.

8. In a building construction, a compartment having a door opening in a wall thereof, a movable door structure for said opening, means associated with said door structure for forming therewith an enclosure about a substantial space adjacent said opening when the door is opened, and

a foldable floor member adapted to be operatively I 10. In a building construction the combination comprising two rooms and a structure between the same having substantially parallel wall portions forming at least a part of a wall of each room, bathing facilities located within said structure and occupying substantially the entire floor space thereof and doors providing access to said structure from each room, each of said doors when closed lying substantially ush with one of said wall portions and adjacent said bathing facilities and means cooperating with said doors preventing opening of one door to said structure when the other door thereof is open.

11. In a building construction the combination comprising two rooms and a structure between the same having substantially parallel wall portions forming at least a part of a wall of each room, bathing facilities located within said structure and occupying substantially the entire floor space thereof and doors providing access to said structure from each room, each of said doors when closed lying substantially flush with one of said wall portions and adjacent said bathing facilities and having means cooperating therewith when opened to define an enclosure about a space communicating with said xture and extending into the adjacent room.

GERALD K. GEERLINGS. 

